Thousands of people took to the streets of Chicago and New York City on Friday to mark Juneteenth, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans in the US.
At Grant Park in downtown Chicago, a number of government officials, including Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Senator Tammy Duckworth led a march.
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The marchers chanted the names of black men and women killed by police officers across the US, and said “too many”.
In Daley Plaza, thousands of people chanted and sang songs.
In New York City, thousands of people on Friday rallied at landmarks such as City Hall, Times Square and Brooklyn Bridge before marching along major avenues.
Demonstration gathered across the US against police brutality and racism in the wake of George Floyd’s death in police custody.
Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed African-American man, died on May 25 during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Friday that he would make Juneteenth a holiday in the city in 2021.
Taking to Twitter, the mayor said, “Black history is American history. Proud to announce that beginning next year, Juneteenth will be an official city and school holiday”.
Earlier this week, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday for state employees.
Officials around the world have been trying to balance understanding at people’s pent-up anger with warnings about the dangers of a disease that has officially claimed nearly 400,000 lives globally.
Last year, a black former Minneapolis police officer was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison for the fatal shooting of an unarmed white Australian woman trying to report a crime.
The protests have even resonated in war-scarred countries such as Iraq, where the “American Revolts” and the Arabic phrase for “We want to breathe, too” hashtags are spreading on social media.
Juneteenth commemorates the day of June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, when Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, which announced that, in accordance with the Emancipation Proclamation, “all slaves are free”.
At present, Juneteenth is recognized by 46 states and Washington, D.C. as an official state holiday or observance.
(With inputs from agency)
